Gragnani says 30-40% chance he’ll sign with Red Sox
Eric Kolenich
Aug 13, 2009
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Two months after being drafted by the Red Sox in the 27th round, former Mills Godwin all-Metro shortstop Reed Gragnani says there’s a 30-40% chance Boston will offer him enough money for him to go pro. Instead, he’s preparing to go to UVA.
Before the draft in June, Gragnani’s asking price was $600,000 to $800,000 for a pro contract. He really wanted to go to college, so he decided an offer from the pros had to be substantial.
The Red Sox asked him if he’d sign for around $550,000, and Gragnani declined. When the draft began, in the early rounds, the Braves said they wanted him for around $500,000. Gragnani turned that offer down too.
But the Red Sox drafted him anyway, taking him in the 27th round. A few weeks later, they invited him to Boston, where they put on the full show for him and the other draftees. He met Theo Epstein and the executives and got his picture taken with the World Series trophies. Then he got to play in a game called The Fenway Classic, where all the draftees were split into two teams. Gragnani went 3-4 and continued to impress the organization. So the Red Sox told him a new offer would come soon after his visit.
“They try to get you acclimated for what it’s like [in the pros],” Gragnani said. “Then they offer you less to see if that won you over.”
And less is exactly what he got. Even less than he expected.
A few days after his trip to Boston, the Red Sox signed 19-year-old Cuban SS José Iglesias for $8.2 million in mid-July. So they turned around and offered Gragnani $300,000.
“I don’t think that was the original offer they had in mind,” he said. “That’s what they had left.”
Like the other offers, Gragnani turned that one down, too.
“So right now I’m getting ready for school,” Gragnani said.
Getting the $600,000 to $800,000 has never been out of the question. The Red Sox told Gragnani their top priority was to sign a few of their top-round pitchers first. If they have money left after them, then they’ll see what they can offer him. Third-round draft pick David Renfroe from Batesville, Miss., Gragnani said, is asking $3 million. And he hasn’t signed yet. Neither has Branden Kline, the Sox’ sixth-round pick out of Maryland. Kline has also committed to UVA and is leaning towards going to school.
Anything can happen in the final hours, but Gragnani said he thinks the odds are against the Red Sox coming up with the money to sign him.
Teams have until Monday to sign their draftees.
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After showing off Fenway and the World Series trophies, Sox signed a Cuban player for $8.2 million. Is there any left for Gragnani?